Mining of metagenomes to search for multifunctional enzymes lacases

• Grant number: 17/09421-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Gertrudes de Macedo Lemos
• Grantee: Bárbara Bonfá Buzzo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The industrial market is becoming increasingly dependent on the use of enzymes as catalysts, such as proteases, lipases, cellulases, among others. It's estimated that this market has an increase of 6.4 percent per year reaching the mark of $6.2 billion by 2020. Among the enzymes used industrially are those of microbial origin, being active in most diverse temperature, substrate and pH conditions, desirable characteristics for industrial application. In order to study the vast biodiversity as a strategy for bioprospecting we have the metagenomics, an approach that allows access to collective genome of environmental samples, including non-cultivable microorganisms. In the last few years several biomolecules bioprospecting methodologies in metagenomic samples have been proposed, among them: the functional tests (in plates with specific substrates, high-throughput screening and iChip); and in silico assays, by sequence search using sequence-driven motifs. These techniques are being used to solve current issues and problems like environmental pollution, such as waste from industrial processes. Among the enzymes with potential for bioremediation are laccases, enzymes of multicopper oxides group, acting on copper and iron's metabolism, and oxidation of polyphenols, being found in plants, fungi and bacteria. They have great biotechnological potential and can be used in waste's treatment, cosmetics, paper and cellulose, beverage and textile industries, and also in degradation of phenolic compounds. Knowing laccases potential, the presente project aims to bioprospect laccase coding sequences through sequence driven strategy in a metagenomic soil database from five ecosystems (Mata Forest, Mata Eucalipto, Canga, Capim and Cerrado). Also, it's expected to identify potential candidates and to select the most interesting ones for functional characterization, aiming at phenolic compounds bioremediation. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

BUZZO, Bárbara Bonfá. In silico analysis, expression and purification of a new laccase from Chitinophaga sp. CB10. 2019. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias. Jaboticabal Jaboticabal.